Incredible but true! Swallowable medical devices may replace the use of gastrointestinal scans.
Swallowable medical devices are basically ingested wireless devices that act as sensors that gather and transmit information, providing snapshots for data reading and interpretation as it passes through the gastrointestinal region of the body, while the user wears a receiving device that collects data taken by the swallowed device.
Just as gastrointestinal scans, these swallowable medical devices reveal the internal body condition. Swallowable medical devices or smart pills have the shape and size of a vitamin pill that allows them to be easily ingested into the body like any other drug. Presently, this technology allows for a pictorial viewing of the digestive tract with its embedded camera about the size of 4mm in diameter.
How Do Smart Pills Work?
Smart pills are designed with a unique identification code, with a radio transmitter embedded inside the “capsule,” which sends information about the acidity and pressure levels in the stomach as well as its duration in the body as it travels. The swallowable medical device is powered by the gastric juice in the stomach generating up to 0.001 – 0.01 watts of power which it uses to work.
Smart pills are active in the body from 24 to 48 hours before it is destroyed by the body and evacuated. After execration, the information is downloaded from the receiver for analysis and further medical inference.Currently, more work is being done to design smart pills that would last longer for up to 1 – 2 weeks before they are finally egested out of the body.
Swallowable devices are useful in diagnosing gastroparesis – a medical disorder where the stomach empties very slowly. Also, swallowable medical devices help diagnose motility disorder – the abnormal movement of the digestive tract. What is your opinion about swallowable medical devices? Do you consider it a suitable alternative to endoscopy and colonoscopy?
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